Antifriction steam piston-head.



No. 677,|35. yPatented luna 25, |901.

J. IMLER. ANTIFRICTION STEAM 0N HEAD.

l (Application ld. July 1 1900.)

(Nu lodel.)

Unirse STATES nTnNr erica.

JOSEPH IMLER, OF FORT VAYNE, NDIANA.

ANTIFRICTION STEAM PlSTON-HED.

SPECEFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,135, dated June 25, 1901.

Application filed July 13, 1900.

To all whom it 11i/ty concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH IMLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antifriction Steam Piston- Heads; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speciiication.

My invention relates to an improvement in steam piston-heads; and it consists in, first, a piston-head composed of two hollow sections and a central diaphragm or partition which separates the two steam-chambers from each other and which diaphragm or partition is of less diameter than that of the two hollow sections; second, two hollow sections provided with lugs or projections upon their inner sides and a central diaphragm or partition against which the lugs strike for the purpose of preventing the two sections from closing tightly against the central diaphragm or partition, and thus leaving seams through which the steam can freely escape; third,a piston-head-composed of two hollow sections and a central dividing-partition placed between them and which partition is provided with two valves which open in opposite directions, so as to admit steam from one chamberinto the other, and, fourth, in the arrangement and combination of parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a piston-head having two steam-spaces into which the steam is admitted and from which chambers the steam escapes to the outer edge of the piston-head for the purpose of freely lubricating it as itis moved back and forth in the cylinder.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal section of a piston-head which embodiesmy invention. Fig. 2 isa side view of one of the hollow sections.

A represents the piston-head, which is composed of the two hollow sections B and the central dividing-partition C, all three parts Serial No. 23,472, (No model-l of which are secured to the piston-rod D, which is passed through them and which piston-rod receives a nut upon its end.. These parts are also held together by clamping-bolts F, of which there are three; but a larger number may be used, if so desired. Each of the hollow sections is provided with an opening G, leading from the outer side of the section into the chamber H, and each of' these openings is closed at its inner end by a spring-actuated valve I, as shown in Fig. 2.' The spring used in this instance is a flat spring, to the outer free end of which the valve is attached. This valve opens inwardly for thev purpose of admitting the steam from the cylinder, andl then it instantly closes, so that none of the steam can escape when the exhaust upon that side of the piston-head takes place.

For the purpose of preventing the end sections from abutting closely against the dividing-partition each end section is provided with any desired number of lugs or-projections J, which are just long enough to strike against the sides of the partition and prevent the inner edges of the end sections from coming in close Contact with the partition, and thus forming seams or spaces L, through which the steam freely escapes against the inner sides of the cylinder for the purpose of lubricating the cylinder as the piston-headis moved back and forth. In order to form a chamber at the center of the piston-head to receive steam, the diameter ofthe central partition isV somewhat less than that of both of the end sections, and hence a circular chamber M is formed all around the pistonhead into which the steam freely passes, and this steam forms a cushion to prevent fricv tion and the dragging of the piston head upon the bottom of the cylinder, and thus enables the piston-head to be held in equilibrium. V1When the piston-head is held in1 equilibrium by the pressure of the steam, much less friction, and consequently less wear upon the piston-head, takes place and less power is required to drivethe piston and less fuel to generate steam.

As here shown, each one of the lugs or projections is provided with an opening through it, and these lugs are'placed vin axial alinement with each other, so that the clamping- IOO bolts can clamp the three parts of the pistonhead rigidly together, and thus hold the parts.

chambers are always kept supplied with steam under pressure, and thus provide steam lubrication to the piston-head under full pressure, for the steam passes through the seams against the inner sides of the cylinder, as already described.

VTh'rough each one of the end sections is formed a small opening P, which is always open, and through which openings P and large openings G a portion of the trapped steam left in the cylinder after the exhaustvalve has closed is alternately forced into the steam-chambers, and thus relieves the piston of the heavy back pressure of the trapped steam on the exhaust side, and which trapped steam has a tendency tocheck the motion of the piston. The steam being forced into the steam-chambers relieves the cylinders, and hence takes just so much pressure away from against the end of the pistonas it is reaching the end of its stroke. openings P a small quantity of steam can pass from one side of the piston-head to the other; but the quantity is so minute that it vmakes little or no practical difference. The two chambers II form compression-spaces in which the steam remaining in the cylinder is compressed. y

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. Apiston composed oftwo hollow endsections, and a dividingpartition placed between them, each of the end sections being provided with a small opening through which the trapped steam in the cylinder is forced into the steam-chambers as the piston appreaches the inner end of its stroke combined with means for permitting the steam to pass through the partition,and means' for preventing the steam from escaping to the opposite side of the piston, substantially as shown.

2. In a piston, two hollow sections, com-A bined with a central partition placed between A them, the partition being provided with open- Thro'ugh these small ings, and valves placed upon opposite sides of the partition and controlling said openings, whereby the steam from one chamber is forced into the other combined with means for permitting the entrance of the steam into the hollow sections, and valves for preventing the steam from escaping therethrough, substantially as described.

3. In a piston-head, the two hollow end sections, and the central partition placed between them, and which partition is of'less diameter than that of the end sections, combined with a piston-rod upon which the end sections and the partition are secured out of contact with each other, the said partition being provided with openings for the passage of steam from one side to the other; and the valves placed upon opposite sides of the partition and controlling said openings for the passage of the steam through the partition, substantially as set forth.

4. In a piston-head, the two hollow vsections, combined with a partition placed be* tween the sections, the end sections being provided with lugs or lprojections which bear against opposite sides of the central partition so as to prevent the end sections from coming'in contact with the partition, substantially as specified.

5. In a piston-head, hollow end sections provided with projections upon their inner.

sides, combined with the central partition of less diameter than lthe end sections Yand,

against which partition the lugs or projections bear, and the clamping-bolts whichare passed through the lugs or projections so as vto hold the parts of the piston-head in position independently of the ypiston-rod, substantially as shown. Y

6. In a piston-head, the two hollowend sections .having the same diameter combined with a partition placed between the twoend sections and which partition is of less diameter than the end sections, said partition being held out of contact with the inner edges of the two head end sections, so as to leave an outward passage for the steam upon each side ot' the partition, substantially as specified.

In Ytestimou y whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH IMLE'R.

W'itnesses:

LEoNIDAs G. WooLLEY, RosANN S. SMITH. 

